near Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb move towards
    go up; come near; draw near; draw close; come on; approach.
    • We were approaching our destination
    • They are drawing near
    • The enemy army came nearer and nearer
  2. adjective not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances
    close; nigh.
    • near neighbors
    • in the near future
    • they are near equals
    • his nearest approach to success
    • a very near thing
    • a near hit by the bomb
    • she was near tears
    • she was close to tears
    • had a close call
  3. adjective satellite being on the left side
    nigh.
    • the near or nigh horse is the one on the left
    • the animal's left side is its near or nigh side
  4. adjective satellite closely resembling the genuine article
    • near beer
    • a dress of near satin
  5. adjective satellite giving or spending with reluctance
    close; skinny; cheeseparing; penny-pinching.
    • our cheeseparing administration
    • very close (or near) with his money
    • a penny-pinching miserly old man
  6. adjective satellite with or in a close or intimate relationship
    dear; good.
    • a good friend
    • my sisters and brothers are near and dear
  7. adjective satellite very close in resemblance
    approximate.
    • sketched in an approximate likeness
    • a near likeness
  8. adverb near in time or place or relationship
    close; nigh.
    • as the wedding day drew near
    • stood near the door
    • don't shoot until they come near
    • getting near to the true explanation
    • her mother is always near
    • The end draws nigh
    • the bullet didn't come close
    • don't get too close to the fire
  9. adverb (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
    about; nigh; almost; most; nearly; well-nigh; virtually.
    • the job is (just) about done
    • the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded
    • we're almost finished
    • the car all but ran her down
    • he nearly fainted
    • talked for nigh onto 2 hours
    • the recording is well-nigh perfect
    • virtually all the parties signed the contract
    • I was near exhausted by the run
    • most everyone agrees

WordNet

Near adverb
Etymology
AS. neár, compar. of neáh nigh. See Nigh.
Definitions
  1. At a little distance, in place, time, manner, or degree; not remote; nigh.
    My wife! my traitress! let her not come near me. Milton.
  2. Nearly; almost; well-nigh. "Near twenty years ago." Shak. "Near a fortnight ago." Addison.
    Near about the yearly value of the land. Locke.
  3. Closely; intimately. Shak.
Near adjective
Etymology
See Near, adv.
Wordforms
comparative Nearer ; superlative Nearest
Definitions
  1. Not far distant in time, place, or degree; not remote; close at hand; adjacent; neighboring; nigh. "As one near death." Shak.
    He served great Hector, and was ever near, Not with his trumpet only, but his spear. Dryden.
  2. Closely connected or related.
    She is thy father's near kinswoman. Lev. xviii. 12.
  3. Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; touching, or affecting intimately; intimate; dear; as, a near friend.
  4. Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling; as, a version near to the original.
  5. So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow; as, a near escape.
  6. Next to the driver, when he is on foot; in the Unted States, on the left of an animal or a team; as, the near ox; the near leg. See Off side, under Off, a.
  7. Immediate; direct; close; short. "The nearest way." Milton.
  8. Close-fisted; parsimonious. Obs. or Low, Eng. ✍ Near may properly be followed by to before the thing approached'; but more frequently to is omitted, and the adjective or the adverb is regarded as a preposition. The same is also true of the word nigh. Syn. -- Nigh; close; adjacent; proximate; contiguous; present; ready; intimate; dear.
Near preposition
Definitions
  1. Adjacent to; close by; not far from; nigh; as, the ship sailed near the land. See the Note under near, a.
Near transitive verb
Etymology
See Near, adv.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Neared ; present participle & verbal noun Nearing
Definitions
  1. To approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land.
Near intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To draw near; to approach.
    A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist! And still it neared, and neared. Coleridge.

Webster 1913